Legend of the Calypso
by SolrSurfr3
Summary: While attending his first year at the Interstellar Academy, Jim and his new friend Dolphy come across the key to another legendary trove. But will they discover a treasure greater than gold and jewels on the journey to find it? J/OC; OC Not mine. MAY BE DISCONTINUED
1. First Day

**Okay, this is my first fanfic, so be nice. I know it's not as great, but hopefully I'll get better. **

**Just some thing you might want to know. The story takes place about one year after the end of the voyage to Treasure Planet. Also, I let Jim grow his hair back out and let him keep his earring, 'cause he looks better like that. 'Nuff said.**

**And now, the disclaimer.**

**Jim Hawkins and Treasure Planet © Disney/Robert Lewis Stevenson**

**OC's © Dolphy. Check out her stuff here or on deviantart. Same username either place. SHE ROCKS!**

**Story © ME**

**Okay, now that we've got all the legal stuff done, on to the story!**

* * *

First Day

"Jim? Hey, Jim? Come on, man, wake up!"

Sixteen-year-old Jim Hawkins groaned and rolled over in bed, trying to ignore his roommate. "Five more minutes, Mom," he murmured into the pillow, then quickly drifted back to sleep.

Rakitan, already dressed and ready to leave, sighed and shook his head in exasperation. The Kimanakan glanced over at the pink protoplasmic blob floating near Jim's head, which had a similar expression on his face. Suddenly, Morph perked up and grinned mischievously, as if he had an idea. Sure enough, seconds later the tiny shape-shifter had changed into a trumpet and blasted a loud bugle into the sleeping teenager's ear.

**"GAAAAH!!"**

The next thing Jim knew, he had landed face up on the ground next to his bed. Despite the ringing in his ears, he was able to make out two voices laughing. He sat up and glared at Rakitan, who raised his hands defensively.

"Hey, don't look at me," he chuckled. "That was your pet's idea, not mine."

Jim sighed and stood up. "Well, I'm awake **now**."

"Good. Now get dressed! Classes start in an hour, and if you don't hurry, you'll be late on your first day."

Jim laughed wryly, searching through the dresser for some clean clothes. "Yeah, God forbid **that** should happen."

Rakitan couldn't hold back another snigger. "Wow, you really aren't a morning person, huh?" When the human didn't answer, he turned a little more serious. "Or is there something else that's bothering you?"

Jim finished pulling on a pair of army-green cargo pants, then looked over at his roommate. Like all members of his race, Rakitan had a humanoid appearance, save for his four eyes, blue-green skin, and three claw-like fingers on each hand. Unfortunately, he was also particularly observant. They'd only met the day before, yet apparently he could already read Jim's face pretty well.

Jim sat down at the foot of his bed and sighed in defeat. "I guess I'm just a little nervous… okay, I'm downright terrified! I keep worrying about whether or not I'm gonna fit in here. Everyone else at the Academy is either loaded or related to someone who used to go here. And, let's face it, I don't fall into either of those categories. I just… wonder if I made the right choice coming here."

Morph floated up to the teenager and snuggled against his cheek, trying to comfort his friend. Jim gave a small smile and pet the little creature on his head. The bed shifted slightly as Rakitan sat down. "Believe me," he reassured. "If you did **half** of the things you told me about, you definitely have a right to be here. I mean, how many people can say that they found a legendary treasure, got mutinied by pirates, and saved their crew from an exploding planet, all in one trip?"

Jim laughed, this time showing some real humor. "You've got I point there, I guess."

"Then stop worrying. Everything's going to work out somehow. It always does." He stood up again. "Now get a move on! Being late on your fist day isn't going to make people like you any better."

"Alright, alright, no need to yell," Jim laughed, then returned to getting ready for the day. Still, a part of him wasn't totally convinced. What if something happened today and he ran into trouble for some reason? It wouldn't be the first time that he'd messed up. _Don't think like that_, he told himself sharply. _Nothing bad is going to happen. Like Rakitan said, everything is going to work out. Who knows? This might turn out to be a good idea after all._

"Come **on**, Jim!"

"Okay! Geez!"

**************

Jim stood at the edge of a crowded hallway, trying to figure out where he was supposed to be going. The first hour of classes was just about to start, and students of every race were hurry in different directions to get to their classrooms. Jim pulled out his timetable again to make sure he was looking for the right room. Navigation, Room C17. Unfortunately, the Academy was so huge that he wasn't even sure if he was in the right wing of the school. Sighing, he tucked the paper back into his book bag. This wasn't getting him anywhere. If he wanted to find his class, he'd have to ask someone for directions.

"Hey! Sorry, but can you help me get to Room C17?"

The student he approached was another human, a black-haired boy at least three inches taller and a year older than Jim. His friend, a blonde teenager, stopped as well. The dark-haired one grinned. "No problem. Follow us."

The two boys led Jim down the long hallway, while students rushed to different classrooms all around them. Despite feeling that he was going in the wrong direction, Jim continued to trail after them. After all, they had to know the school better than he did. Finally, the three boys came to a door at the end of the hallway, which the dark-haired guy motioned toward. "Right in here."

"Thanks." Jim opened the door and walked in. But it wasn't a classroom. Instead of students, the diminutive room was filled with mops, scrub brushes, and other cleaning supplies. Confused, he called back to his guides. "Uh, guys, I think we've got the wrong-"

Suddenly, the door behind him slammed closed. As he turned around, Jim heard a small click on the other side of the door. Now panicked, he started pounding on it, trying to get someone's attention. "Hey! Is anybody out there? Hello?! Somebody get me out of here! HEY!!" All he could here were two laughing voices fading, and then, silence. He was alone.

Jim struck the door furiously, then laid his back against it, feeling like a complete fool. _Well, this is just great. My first day at the Academy and I get to spend it locked in a broom closet. Those guys had this all planned out and I didn't even realize it. What kind of **idiot** am I?!_

Muffled slightly by the wood behind him, he could hear a bell ring out in the hallway, indicating the beginning of classes. Jim groaned. What would they do if he didn't show up to his first class? What if he couldn't get out of here to get to **any** of his classes? His teachers would probably think that he'd intentionally cut class, and he'd get suspended. Or worse; expelled. He could get sent back home and lose the biggest chance he'd ever get to make something of himself, all because of some stupid prank.

Jim's thoughts were broken by a small noise behind him. He listened closely, trying to identify the sound. Seconds later, a muted, metallic click sounded. Before Jim could register what was going on, the door swung open and he fell hard onto the floor.

Groaning, he tried to see through the sharp pain at the back of his head. Despite his distorted vision, he was able to make out the shape of someone standing over him. Slowly the image came into focus. It was a girl, about his age, with long brown hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a dark red shirt with mid-length sleeves that hung just off her shoulders. The only jewelry she wore was a silver necklace with a twin-dolphin pendant and a gold ring in her left ear, similar to Jim's.

And she was beautiful. Was she an angel? No, he couldn't **die** from falling out of a broom closet. Besides, it was doubtful that angels wore dark burgundy jeans and clunky black leather boots. She was just a normal human. A really, **really** beautiful normal human.

Jim suddenly realized how ridiculous he must look lying on the ground. He quickly picked himself up and faced her, trying to look as casual as possible and failing miserably.

"Uh… hi," he offered, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head.

The girl laughed softly. "Hey. Sorry if I caught you off guard when I opened the door. I heard you calling for help and then I saw this thing messing with the lock." She motioned to Morph, who zoomed over to Jim's shoulder in a heartbeat. That explained the noises.

"Morph, I thought I told you to stay in the dorm." The little shape-shifter ignored him and started licking the boy's face mercilessly. "Okay, okay, you can come with me!" Jim managed between laughs. "But you need to stay hidden, got it?"

"Got it! Got it!" Morph chirped, then zipped into one of the pockets in Jim's book bag. Jim looked at the girl again, and suddenly felt awkward. Luckily, she didn't seem to mind.

"So, you new here?" she asked.

Jim grinned sarcastically. "Is it that obvious?"

"Well, not many people get themselves locked in a broom closet unless they don't know where they're going."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault! Some guys said this was the way to my class." Jim paused. "Okay, I guess it **was** my fault for trusting them."

"One of those guys wouldn't happen to have been tall with dark hair, would he?"

"Yeah! How'd you know?"

"That's Carren, the Interstellar Academy's resident jerk. Living proof that the evolutionary cycle can work in reverse. Don't take it personally; that's how he treats everybody. Apparently, he thinks it's just hysterical to make life harder for the rest of us. Just try to avoid him and you'll be fine."

"Thanks for the tip," Jim said, somehow unable to keep from smiling. It suddenly occurred to him that he was late for class, and still had no idea where his classroom was. "Hey, could you help me find Room C17? I mean, I know you still have to get to **your** class, but-"

"Actually, that _is_ my next class. Come on, it's this way."

"Thanks. By the way, I'm Jim Hawkins."

"Susan Dolphers, but practically everyone calls me Dolphy."

"Alright. Lead the way, Dolphy."

With their introductions completed, the two teenagers rushed to their classroom, Dolphy in front with Jim following close behind. This time, there wasn't a single doubt in his mind that he was going the right way.

**************

"Miss Dolphers, you're late."

"Sorry, professor. If it helps my case at all, I found a new student."

"Ah, yes. You must be Mr. Hawkins. Well, find a seat, both of you, and we can get started."

"Yes, sir." Jim made his way to an empty desk near the window, trying to ignore that he was now the center of attention. He did, however, see the black-haired boy, Carren, grinning arrogantly at him, no doubt thinking of his "hilarious" prank earlier. Jim glared at him, but continued walking. He came to the seat and sat down, trying not to give in to his growing urge to go over and punch Carren in the face. He wasn't worth the trouble.

While trying to find the right page in his textbook, Jim stopped as he felt something light hit against the back of his head. Looking down, he caught sight of a crumpled ball of paper lying by his foot. Annoyed but curious, he plucked it off the ground and quietly smoothed the sheet out, only to scowl at the message scribbled inside.

_Welcome to the Interstellar Academy. Try not to get lost again, genius._

Jim turned his head slightly, taking a guess as to who the note was from. Sure enough, Carren was looking at him, an arrogant smirk on his face. Jim glared again, then blinked in confusion as a white, round object hit Carren in the head. Both boys' heads turned into see Dolphy wave smugly at the dark haired bully, not even pretending to look innocent. She shot Jim a smile, which he returned. He turned back to the front of the room, grinning even wider at the abrupt change in Carren's mood. As the professor continued to lecture the class, Jim couldn't keep a small smile off of his face.

Apparently, he wouldn't have to face his new life at the Academy on his own.

* * *

**And that's the first chapter! What wonderfully dangerous messes will Jim and his new friends get into? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Please read, review, flame, worship, whatever. And if by some miracle Dolphy happens to be reading this, I'm a huge fan, and keep up the great work!**

**Alright, that's all for now. Thanks for reading. Laterz!**


	2. A Challenge

**Okay, so last time, you were introduced to Jim's new friends Rakitan and Dolphy. Unfortunately, you also got a breif glimpse at the school bully, Carren. Well, brace yourselves: here he comes again.**

**Disclaimer time!**

**Jim and Treasure Planet **©** Disney/ Robert Lewis Stevenson**

**OC's (except Blazer) **©** Dolphy**

**Blazer and Story **©** Me. I'll probably add in more background characters later**

* * *

A Challenge

From that point on, Jim's day only seemed to get better. As it turned out, his and Dolphy's class schedules were practically identical; they had all of their classes together. Jim was glad that he would know at least one person in his classes, since he didn't see Rakitan at all during school hours. Plus, now he'd get the chance to spend more time with his new acquaintance. He wasn't sure what is was, but something about her set her apart from all of the other girls at the academy. Most of the other girls his age that he'd ever seen wouldn't even give him a second glance, let alone talk to him. And yet, there **she** was, treating him like they'd known each other their whole lives. It seemed like he and Dolphy were on their way to becoming close friends.

Better still, Jim was actually able to understand what he was supposed to be learning in class. Despite the fact that he'd arrived after the year had started and had practically failed all of his courses at his old school, the new student was able to follow what was going on fairly easily. He even answered some questioned that completely stumped the other students, greatly impressing his teachers. Now that he actually felt he had a reason to try, it turned out his mom had been right: he _was_ pretty smart. Of course, having a bit of previous experience in space travel didn't hurt, either.

"Geez, how can you possibly be that smart?" Jim and Dolphy were on their way to the cafeteria from their astronomy class, following a route outside of the school. Dolphy seemed to know most of the shortcuts between their classes, yet another reason Jim was grateful to know her. She also seemed a bit awed by his academic ability. "So far today, you must have answered at least five questions that even the upperclassmen didn't have a clue about. How do you know all that stuff?"

"Uh, I've had a little field experience," Jim answered simply. The only one at the academy who knew about his excursion to Treasure Planet was Rakitan, and he wanted to keep it that way for now. He didn't want to tell Dolphy everything yet for fear that she'd think he was lying. Either that or just flat out crazy. Still, he couldn't keep a small joy from glowing inside of him. He'd actually managed to impress a girl, without being rich or famous or anything. It was a new experience for him, and he enjoyed it.

"Well, maybe you can give me a few pointers," Dolphy suggested. "I'm **barely** managing to pass my classes, and the year only started a month ago!"

"Sure, no problem. That's the least I can do to thank you for helping me navigate this place." Suddenly, something caught Jim's eye. "Hey, what's that?"

A few yards away, there was a long, rectangular clearing surrounded on three sides by trees. Along the length of the clearing ran a tall fence, though it wasn't connected to anything and didn't seem to keep anything separated. At one end of the fence was a platform that rose just short of the fences height.

"That's the solar surfing track. Do you ride?"

"Yeah, but not like this." Jim wandered over to the track, completely forgetting about the cafeteria.

"The guys use it to race each other and show off," Dolphy told him, following after him. "The racers take off from the top of the platform and see who can get around the fence fastest. Right now, Carren's the undefeated champion. Probably why he acts so high and mighty towards everyone else. Plus the fact that he's a conceited jerk."

Just then, their conversation was interrupted by the bell going off. "Come on, let's get going," Dolphy offered. "We might not get in trouble for being late for lunch, but I'm **starving**."

"Yeah, alright," Jim agreed, and with one final look at the track, followed her back toward the main building. He would definitely have to try it out sometime soon.

"So, what about you? Do you do any solar surfing?" Jim knew it was a stupid question. He didn't know of any girls who solar surfed, and highly doubted there were any. Besides, she'd already said that the _**guys**_ used the track; she hadn't mentioned girls at all. Still, he was curious.

"No, I've never tried it. We have some variations of it where I'm from: skateboarding, snowboarding, wave surfing. None of those involve any actual flying, though. Solar surfing is definitely something I'd like to give a shot."

Jim was more than a little surprised by her answer. It seemed the more he got to know her, the less like other girls she was. Dolphy was, without a doubt, the most surprising girl he had ever met.

And Jim was finding that he liked her more and more every second.

**********

When the two teenagers finally arrived at the cafeteria, it was already packed with students. Luckily, most had already gotten their food, so the line was practically nonexistent. In no time, Jim and Dolphy had bought their lunches and found an empty table to sit at.

"You know, it's weird," Jim said while sneaking a piece of his meal into his book bag for Morph. "This place isn't half as horrible as I thought it would be!"

Dolphy laughed, but her smile faded as soon as she saw something behind Jim. "Don't look now," she warned, "but it's about to get a lot worse."

Despite her caution, Jim turned his head and immediately saw what she was talking about. Carren, along with his blonde friend and a burly panther-like alien were headed right towards their table. Jim turned around quickly, praying that they'd keep walking right past them. Unfortunately, his prayers went unanswered.

"Well, if it isn't my pal from this morning. Hawkins, right?" Carren stopped behind Jim's chair, his companions on either side. Jim sighed and turned to face him.

"What do you want, Carren? Haven't you bothered me enough today?"

"Hey, I just thought we could get to know each other a little better. You already seem to know _my_ name, though, so I'll just introduce you to my buddies. This is Lenaro," he motioned to the blonde human, "and Blazer," he gestured toward the panther.

Carren turned his attention back to Jim. "So, you're the new kid, right?" He chuckled. "Boy, this place has **really** lowered its standards." Blazer and Lenaro laughed along with him, while Jim just scowled and turned back to his lunch. Carren, however, hadn't finished yet.

"How **did** you get into this school, anyway? I mean, from the look of your outfit, I doubt you were able to pay for tuition." The three continued to laugh, obviously enjoying torturing the new guy. Jim was literally on his last good nerve, and was using all of his self control to keep from beating Carren to a pulp. Instead, he came up with a better idea of how to shut them up.

"Actually, I'm here because I helped find **Treasure Planet**."

Unfortunately, his revelation didn't have the exact effect that he'd hope for. In fact, Carren and his friends were now laughing harder than ever. The only person who'd shown the expected reaction was Dolphy. She sat there, wide-eyed, just staring at Jim, clearly trying to decide whether to believe him or not. The three boys, however, had already made up their minds on that matter.

"Treasure Planet?" Lenaro scoffed. "Nice try, kid, but we weren't born yesterday."

"Aren't you a little old to still believe in fairy tales?" Blazer added.

"It's the truth! We followed a treasure map there, and we were mutinied by pirates, and-"

"Yeah, right," Carren interrupted. "And I found the lost continent of Atlantis."

The three continued to mock him, while Jim just sat and took it, hating them and hating himself. Why had he told them the truth? He'd known that people wouldn't believe him if he did. That's why he'd only told his roommate about the voyage. And this was just the beginning. Soon, everyone would be talking and he'd never hear the end of it.

"Will you creeps just knock it off?!" Jim looked up to see Dolphy, who had recovered from her slight shock, standing up at her chair and glaring dangerously at Carren and his friends. "Even if he **didn't** find Treasure Planet, he's probably had more experience spacing than the three of you put together. You losers are just jealous because he showed you up in class today and made you look even **more** like idiots than usual."

Carren's laughter finally died down as he turned his gaze on Dolphy, still smirking maliciously. "Well, looks liked you've met Dolphin Girl," he said to Jim. "Word to the not-so-wise, Hawkins; if you even want a **chance** at fitting in at this school, I'd suggest dumping your little girlfriend here. She's not exactly, well… **normal**, if you catch my drift."

Jim watched as Dolphy sank back into her chair, her head hanging in evident sadness. He turned and glowered at the black haired boy, who continued to sneer at the girl. Carren could taunt Jim all he wanted, but messing with his friends was another thing entirely. The next he knew, the brunette boy was standing in front of the taller human, scowling fiercely.

"Leave her alone, Carren," he practically snarled. "This is between you and me."

Carren chuckled. "What do you know? It looks like the Treasure Hunter here has a protective side." He leaned closer, staring the new boy down. "So, what are you gonna do if I _don't_ leave her alone?"

"Look, I'll make you a deal. If I beat you in a solar surfer race on the school's track, then you and your friends have to leave **both** of us alone."

"Alright," Carren agreed without hesitation. "But if _I_ win, I get to make your lives a living nightmare until graduation, and you two can't do anything about it."

"Deal. This afternoon, right after classes."

"You're on, Hawkins." Carren moved past him and started to leave, then paused. "Oh, and by the way, nice haircut." He gave a sharp yank on the small ponytail at the nape of Jim's neck, then walked away snickering, his two cohorts close behind. Jim glared after them, rubbing the back of his neck to make the sting go away. Maybe growing his hair out again hadn't been the best idea.

"That guy is seriously starting to get on my nerves," he growled as he sat back down. Dolphy was looking up again, staring at Jim incredulously. "What?"

"Are completely out of your mind?!" she virtually exploded at him. "You just challenged the school solar surfing champion to a race on his home turf! What the heck were you thinking?!"

"Relax, Dolphy," he reassured her. "I've been solar surfing almost half of my life. I'm sure I can beat this guy no problem."

"Jim, I know Carren is a total idiot, but he's also one of the best riders in this part of the galaxy. You face him and you **are** going to lose."

"Wow, thanks for your overwhelming confidence in me," Jim chuckled. Dolphy didn't join in his laughter. "Chill out, Dolph. This guy's as good as beaten."

Dolphy sighed. "Alright, fine. Just don't do anything incredibly stupid, okay?"

"What makes you think I would?"

Dolphy smiled sardonically. "You seem like the type."

Jim chuckled, feeling increasingly confident in his abilities. Carren and his friends had had their fun. Now, it was Jim's turn. Dolphy, however, wasn't quite so sure. She had an ominous feeling that she knew exactly what was going to happen next.

* * *

**Ooh, conflict! How's this gonna pan out? Find out in the next chapter. Please review. Laterz!**


	3. The Race

**Do I have to write a disclaimer for every chapter? Oh well**

**Jim and Treasure Planet **©** Disney/Robert Lewis Stevenson**

**Oc's (except Blazer) **©** Dolphy**

**Blazer and Story **©** ME!!!**

**Okay, now back to the story**

* * *

The Race

As there rest of the day dragged on uneventfully, the only thing on Jim's mind was his upcoming race against Carren. The older student had obviously spread word of the contest. Since the end if lunch, Jim had been hearing bits and pieces of information pass from one student to the next. He'd even spotted a few kids placing bets on the outcome. Not surprisingly, the odds seemed to weigh strongly against him. _No matter_, Jim thought to himself. _It'll just be that much more dramatic when I beat Carren at his own game._

Dolphy, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as certain as Jim. She hated that she was expecting her new friend to lose, especially if it meant that Carren would win again. Still, she'd seen Carren race enough times to know that he was good. Really good. In spite of this, a part of her hoped zealously that somehow, Jim would manage to best Carren and come out on top. For some reason, she just could bring herself to count him out completely. Maybe there was a chance that he could win.

While Dolphy fought in her head with the conflicting possible outcomes and Jim's self-confidence continued to stand strong, the hours ticked away. Slowly but surely, the amount time until the day's end became less and less. Jim stared at the clock in the mathematics classroom, as if watching it would cause time to pass more quickly. Soon, only a matter of seconds remained until his chance to prove himself came.

"Come on, come on," Jim murmured under his breath, coaxing the second hand to travel more quickly.

After what felt like an eternity, the final bell rang, freeing students from their classes for the rest of the day. Jim quickly swept his books into his book bag and raced out the door with Dolphy trailing closely behind. While many students scattered to their dorms and to the cafeteria, a significant number made their way outside to the track, most likely to witness the event that would soon be taking place there.

"Are you sure about this, Jim?" Dolphy asked.

"Dolphy, I'm sure. I want to show this guy that he can't just go around treating people like dirt. Besides, look at all the students who showed up. I can't exactly back down now and deprive them of a show."

"I just don't want your little 'show' to land you in the infirmary for the next week," Dolphy muttered, starting to get annoyed with Jim's sudden overconfidence. A miniscule part of her wanted to believe that losing would shock him back into his original attitude, and that he'd stop acting like this if Carren won. Dolphy quickly shoved the thought from her mind. She wanted him to win, and she wanted to see Carren lose. But she also wanted to know that the Jim she'd met that morning was the _real_ Jim, and that this one was just an overly-cocky façade.

"Hey, Jim! Wait up!"

Jim turned and smiled to see Rakitan making his way through the crowd towards them, grinning widely.

"I heard about the race and decided to come cheer you on. You've got some serious guts to take on Carren."

"Either that or very little brain," Dolphy breathed.

Jim was unfazed by her comment. "Thanks, Raki. By the way, this is Dolphy. Dolphy, this is my roommate, Rakitan."

The two exchanged greetings, then Rakitan turned back to Jim. Abruptly, his expression changed to confusion. "Uh, Jim, why is your bag moving?"

Puzzled, Jim shrugged off his bag and held it in front of him to examine it. Sure enough, one of the pockets was moving around like it was alive. Suddenly, Jim remembered. "Oh man, Morph!" He quickly unzipped the pocket and the little protoplasm flew out, gasping animatedly. He then rushed right up to the human boy's face and began complaining in a series of chirps and chatters.

"Hey, don't get mad at **me**," Jim defended, smirking. "**You're** the one who wanted to come with me to my classes. Next time I tell you to stay in the dorm, maybe you'll listen."

Dolphy couldn't help but laugh at the 'argument.' There was just something incredibly funny about watching a pink blob and a human teenager bicker with each other. But more than that, it allowed her another small glimpse at the Jim that she favored: playful, funny, and maybe even childish. He just seemed so innocent and open sometimes, then so pompous and full of himself moments later. The two extremes of his personality that he exhibited made it hard for Dolphy to figure out what kind of person he really was. And the even greater question: why was she so caught up in trying to figure him out?

"Dolphy?"

The girl looked up, suddenly realizing how deeply she'd strayed into her own thoughts. Jim and Morph had brought their squabble to an end, and, along with Rakitan, were now ready to continue the short trip to the track.

"Come on, Dolphy," Jim urged, smiling confidently. "We've got a race to win."

Dolphy scowled slightly and rolled her eyes. There was that cockiness that had begun to drive her crazy. _I swear I'm going to get whiplash from this guy's personality changes_. Still preoccupied about the outcome of the race, she reluctantly dragged her feet to follow her companions to their destination.

**********

"I didn't think you'd actually show up, Hawkins," Carren retorted when he caught sight of the brunette teenager and his friends stepping forward. "You must be dumber than I thought."

Jim glared at the taller boy. "You here to talk or race?"

"Oh, anxious to get our butts kicked, aren't we?" Carren chuckled as Blazer handed Jim a board. Jim just grabbed it and began climbing up to the starting platform, where his black-haired opponent was already standing. _We'll just see who's laughing after this_.

In the crowd below, Dolphy, Rakitan and Morph watched as Jim ascended. When he was halfway to the top, the teenager turned slightly and lifted one hand to wave at his companions. Morph changed into a hand and waved back, while Rakitan shot him a thumbs-up. Dolphy, however, just rolled her eyes and looked away, not making eye contact with him. Jim was a bit confused by her reaction, but promptly shook it off. _She's just worried, that's all_, he convinced himself. _She'll be in a better mood after the race._

"Move it, Hawkins!" Carren shouted down from the platform. "Sometime this century would be nice."

Jim looked up and scowled at his competition, continuing his climb. When he reached the top, he took his place next to Carren and set the surfer down next to him. On the ground in front of the platform, Lenaro stood with a red bandana clutched in his hand.

"Alright, here's how it's gonna be," the blonde shouted up to the two racers. "When this bandana hits the ground, you two start flying like crazy. First one around the fence and back to this end wins. On your mark…"

Jim stepped onto the board and released its shimmering orange sail. He gripped the bar and looked straight ahead, readying himself for takeoff. Beside him, Carren did the same.

"Get set…"

The two boys switched on the engines, bringing their boards to life. Over the din of the vehicles, Carren murmured to his opponent, eyes fixed on the track ahead.

_"I'm gonna make you look **so** bad in front of your girlfriend."_

Lenaro released his grip on the bandana and let it fall to the ground. As soon as it landed, the two racers rocketed forward like blasts shot out of a laser pistol. Carren gained an early lead, but Jim advanced quickly and was soon neck-and-neck with the older student.

Adrenaline raced through his veins as the surfer sliced through the air, causing wind to whip across his face. Even here, Jim was able to appreciate the pure thrill of taking to the air, to remember just why it was that he always came back for more. As soon as his connection to the earth was severed, he was free. Solar surfing was one of the few things in his life that had always meant something to him. And now, he was going to use it to prove himself to everyone.

Pressing down completely on the ignition pedal, Jim sped up and took the lead, easily slipping in front of Carren. He looked back at his rival, smirking. "That all you got, Carren?"

"It's not over yet, Hawkins! Just wait."

Jim just chuckled to himself and turned his sight back to the track ahead. The end of the fence loomed just a few yards ahead. When it was just a couple feet in front of him, Jim leaned in towards the railing, angling the board for a turn. The edge came and went and Jim straightened out the board to zip down to the finish line.

But he was still moving sideways instead of forward.

Too late, Jim realized that he must have picked up too much speed on his way down to the end of the track, and made too wide of a turn. Now, the extra velocity left over from before the turn was causing him to drift off course at a still-rapid speed. And it was taking him directly into the woods lining the track.

Panicked, Jim tried desperately to regain control over his board, but to no avail. Seconds later, he slammed into one of trees and was knocked off of the surfer. The teenager plummeted earthward, grasping out blindly for a branch to hold on to, and hit the ground painfully. The board skidded to a halt several yards away, its sail having refolded on impact.

Jim groaned as he attempted to pick himself up, one arm clutching his side where he'd landed. What he saw when he looked up, though, caused his spirits to drop even further. Carren had navigated the turn with no difficulties whatsoever, and had landed his surfer just past the finish mark. All around the far end of the track, the sizeable crowd of students stood cheering and laughing. Cheering for Carren's victory and laughing at Jim's failure.

The one thing that he felt confident doing, and he had lost and made a fool of himself in front of everyone.

The young teenager dropped his head and sighed heavily, lifting himself to his feet. He glanced over at the bag that had come loose from his shoulders during his fall and snatched it up, keeping his head down all the while. Jim then turned and looked into the woods. Going back to the school now would mean having to deal with ridicule and humiliation, something he wasn't ready to face right now. He'd have to go back eventually, but until then, he just needed to be alone.

"Jim!"

The boy flinched as he heard Dolphy's voice call out his name. Unwillingly, he glanced behind him to see the brunette girl rush through the crowd towards him. Jim couldn't face her now, not like this. Not after losing a bet that _he'd_ made, one that had involved her as well. It was just too humiliating.

"Jim, are you alright?"

Jim kept his gaze fixed on the ground before him, not daring to meet her eyes. Not wanting to see the inevitable pity in them.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I'm fine, just… fine."

And with those few words, the young teenager turned and staggered off, away from the applauding throng. Dolphy watched him go, wanting more than anything to stop him and try to make him feel better about the whole ordeal. Still, she knew better than anyone that sometimes the only thing you want is to be left alone. So she just stood there, watching as he got farther and farther away, until he was gone, swallowed up by the dark foliage surrounding him.

"I'm sorry, Jim…"

* * *

**Aww, poor Jim. I feel bad for him, even though I'm the one who wrote this.**

**In case anyone's cofused about what happened during the race, Jim picked up too much speed while rounding the turn. It has to do with Newton's first law: objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. And in this case, the 'outside force' was a tree. Ouch.**

**Thanks for reading. Please review. Bye!**


	4. Consolation Prize

**Okay, so the last time we were with Jim, he was wallowing in self-pity over losing his race against Carren. Luckily, it's now time to cheer him up!**

**Jim and Treasure Planet (c) Disney/Robert Lewis Stevenson**

**Dolphy (c) Dolphy (Thanks for the review! Made my day!)**

**Story (c) ME!!**

**Aaaand... roll it!**

* * *

Consolation Prize

As the sun set on the planet of Imeria, it left behind the peace and beauty of the night sky. When the light of the day had begun to fade, one could see the heavens for what they truly were: a masterpiece. Hundreds of millions of stars took their places upon the dark indigo expanse, shimmering and shining for all to see. On any other night, Jim could have just laid back and stared at them until the sun rose again. This evening, though, they held no brilliance for him. Tonight, all he could think about was the bygone race, and his own stupid mistakes.

The boy sat upon a thick, strong branch hanging several feet above the ground, arms crossed over his knees and chin resting on his wrist, gazing blankly into the far-off sunset. He'd been sitting there for at least a few hours now, and had no intentions of leaving until everyone at the academy was asleep. He may not be able to avoid the ridicule from his classmates completely, but at least he could evade it until morning. After that, though, Jim would be an open target for mockery and contempt.

What had possessed him to make that stupid bet in the first place, anyway? He knew one part of it was because he'd wanted to show Carren up at his own game, and another was to prove that he really did have a right to be at the academy. But there was another reason that he'd challenged the older student. Something that he hadn't even recalled until after the race had ended.

Part of him had done it… just for Dolphy.

When Carren had said those things about her, Jim simply couldn't just sit there and let her be insulted like that. She'd been so kind and open towards him, and seeing her hurt in any way killed him. So he made a bet with Carren that would keep him from tormenting her ever again.

Jim sighed. _So much for **that** brilliant plan_, he thought bitterly. _The bet completely backfired and now we're both fair game for that jerk. I'll be lucky if Dolphy ever wants to **look** at me again, let alone keep hanging out with me._

_My first real friend here besides my roommate, and I lose her after one stinking day._

Jim scarcely reacted as a pink blur flew past his line of vision. Morph popped up in front of him, grinning playfully, and shifted into a bright yellow smiley face. Jim looked up for only a moment before sighing and turning his gaze back to the darkening horizon. The shape-shifter made a second attempt, this time changing into a small firecracker and bursting into a shower of confetti. Again, the teenager's sullen mood refused to change. Trying the form that had always lifted his spirits before, the protoplasm morphed into a humorously exaggerated replica of a certain arachnid-like pirate from the voyage to Treasure Planet. "Spider psycho!" Even this failed to return the boy's smile. Finally giving up, Morph changed back into his original form, pouting in defeat.

"Sorry, buddy," Jim apologized quietly. "I guess I'm just not in the mood to be cheered up." He took the little blob into his hands and stroked him gently, offering a small, sad smile.

"I forgot to tell you, students aren't allowed to keep pets here. You'd better keep an eye on him."

Jim glanced over his shoulder, towards the direction that the voice had come from. He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Dolphy climbing up to join him. Now she sat on another limb just to his right. Morph zipped over to greet her, cuddling against her face affectionately.

Sighing, Jim leaned back against the trunk and stared out into the void. "Look, if you're here to say 'I told you so', or yell at me for losing…"

"Actually," she interrupted almost shyly, "I'm here because I never got a chance to thank you."

Jim looked up at her, surprised. "Thank me? For what? I lost in my own challenge and gave that pompous jerk the ability to torture us until graduation day. I completely blew it in front of the entire school! Not to mention that I must have acted like a complete idiot since lunch."

"Well, yeah, but you defended me. Not many people have the nerve to stand up to Carren, especially not for someone they don't really know. So… thanks."

Jim scoffed quietly. "Well, didn't exactly work out according to plan. I could didn't even **finish** the race."

"That's because you got too careless," Dolphy stated matter-of-factly. "Next time you come to a sharp turn, here's what you do: cut the engine, lean onto your back foot, swing the front of the board around, and then accelerate. You'll have to slow down for a few milliseconds, but at least you'll get around the bend."

The teenager next to her raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You really think that would work?"

"I told you before; where I'm from, there are a lot of variations of solar surfing. It works for wave surfing, so I figured this has some of the same basic principles."

Jim gave another dry, humorless laugh. "I wished I'd known that **before** I went and made a fool of myself." He stared up at the stars that were beginning to appear, feeling farther away from them than ever. "So much for there being greatness in me."

Dolphy looked over at him. "My mom always used to say that some of the greatest people in history were faced with some of the biggest challenges imaginable. What **made** them great was the fact that they never gave up."

Jim grinned slightly, grudgingly seeing the wisdom in her words. "Well then, I guess I should stop moping around if I ever want to do great things."

"From what I heard, you already have," Dolphy said, grinning. "What was it like?"

"What?"

"Finding Treasure Planet."

Jim blinked, taken aback by her question. "You believe me?"

"Should I not?"

"No, no, you should, it was the truth. I just wasn't sure if you'd thought I was lying or not. After all, it does sound a little, you know… far-fetched?"

"Maybe a bit," Dolphy admitted, chuckling. "So, what was like? I want to hear **everything**."

Jim hesitated. "It's kind of a long story."

Dolphy leaned back against the tree trunk, getting herself comfortable. "Well, then, I guess you'd better get started."

Jim smiled at her, his first real smile since the race. "Alright. I guess the whole thing started one night after I got in trouble with the police…"

With those words, Jim launched into the story of his journey to Flint's trove, beginning on the night when he was first entrusted with the map. He told her everything that had happened; how he'd met John Silver, how the ship had almost been destroyed in a supernova, their quick getaway when the mutiny ensued, sneaking back onboard the _Legacy_ to find the map, discovering the portal and the entrance to the treasure cavern, and the risky escape from the exploding world. Morph served as a visual aide whenever he saw fit, which was fairly often. Dolphy listened in amazement, mesmerized by every word of the tale. By the time Jim had finished, the sun had vanished completely and the moon hung high above.

"Wow," Dolphy uttered, still wide-eyed. Other than that she was at a loss for words.

Jim couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. "Yeah, no kidding."

Dolphy laughed, shaking her head in wonder. "If Carren had heard that, he'd think twice before messing with you from now on."

Jim's smile faded at the mention of the older student. "Look, Dolphy, I'm really sorry I made that bet. I wanted to keep you out of the whole thing with Carren, but I ended up doing the exact opposite instead."

"Eh, don't beat yourself up about it. That vacuum-brain probably wouldn't have stopped anyway. If there's one thing I know about Carren, it's taken he never plays fair. Besides, your heart was in the right place."

The teenaged boy's grinned returned, matching the one on his friend's face. "Just to set the record straight, though, I'm not **completely** hopeless on a solar surfer. I'm just not too great on the school's track, that's all."

"Well, **that's** the understatement of the millennium," Dolphy sniggered. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "You know, there's a pretty huge canyon not far from here. Maybe you could ride you surfer there. No sharp turns, no obnoxious competition, just five square miles of open sky."

The brown-haired boy grinned even wider. Just imagining riding in a place like that lifted his heart. "Honestly, that sounds completely awesome."

"We can check it out tomorrow after classes. But right now," she said as she started climbing down from the branch she'd been sitting, "I think we'd better head back to the dorms. It's gotta be close to midnight, and I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to hit the hay."

"Me too," Jim admitted, following her to the ground. "Crashing into a tree at high speed and embarrassing yourself in front of hundreds of students tends to do that to you," he added good-naturedly.

The two reached the bottom of the tree in seconds, and Jim began walking off. He'd gone a couple of yards before realizing that Dolphy wasn't following him. When he looked back, he saw her leaning against the base of the tree, smirking. Jim sighed and smiled, taking a guess as to what was going on.

"The Academy's the other way, huh?"

"Yep," she answered cheerfully.

Jim chuckled to himself and walked back over to his friend. "Sorry, I'm still trying to figure out how to navigate this place."

"Don't worry, dude. You'll get used to it in a few days. In the meantime, you'd better stick with me so you don't end up locked in another broom closet."

The teenager couldn't help but join his companion in laughter at the comment. After all, she was probably right. Once again, Dolphy led the way as Jim followed behind.

_Believe me; I have no problem with that._

_

* * *

_

**Awww, cute fluffy ending! Everyone needs somebody to talk to every once in a while.**

**I know the story isn't very, well, 'adventury' at this point, but it'll get there. Just bare with me.**

**Also, I just HAD to put in Morph pretending to be Scroop. That's one of my favorite scenes in the movie!**

**Anyway, thanks to those willing to read this! Please review! Aloha! (in the 'good-bye' sense)**


	5. On My Mind

**Okay, so you know Dolphy. Now it's time to meet her three evil roommates. Feel free to boo.**

**Jim and Treasure Planet (c) Disney/Robert Lewis Stevenson**

**Dolphy and her evil roommates (c) Dolphy (thanks for the reviews!)**

**Story (c) ME!!!**

**Onward, good readers!**

* * *

On My Mind

By the time the two students had returned to the dormitories, it was well past midnight and most, if not all, of their classmates were sound asleep. Despite the lateness of the hour, Jim offered to walk Dolphy to her room. She was a bit concerned that he wouldn't be able to find his way back, but allowed him to convince her. Besides, it gave her a chance to spend more time with him. Dolphy didn't have any other friends at the academy, so it was nice for her to have someone to talk to.

"So, I know it's probably none of my business," Jim began awkwardly, "but why is Carren such a jerk to you, anyway?"

"I'm not really sure what the exact reason is," she confessed, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "It **may** have something to do with how I punched him when he tried to kiss me on the first day of school."

"You **punched** him?" he inquired, shocked and amused. "Wait a minute; he **kissed** you?!"

"**Tried** to kiss me," Dolphy corrected him, smirking. "He didn't actually **manage** to. He had a bet with some buddies of his that he'd be able to make out with a new girl on the first day. I, however, was able to give him a shiner that lasted about two weeks. He ended up telling everyone that he'd gotten it in a solar surfing accident."

Jim couldn't help but laugh out loud at the story. Just the very idea of Carren, the arrogant solar surfing champ of the Interstellar Academy, getting a black eye from a girl a year younger than him, was enough to cause both of them to have hysterics. Finally, they managed to calm themselves down, and Dolphy continued.

"Of course, it might also be because I'm so different from every other girl here."

"What do you mean, 'different'?"

"Uh, I don't know if you've figured it out yet, but I'm not exactly the 'prom queen' type. Most girls are only interested in gossip, shopping, boyfriends; I'm not into that stuff. I guess that's why most people here treat me like I've got the plague or something."

"Geez, that sounds kind of harsh."

"That's not the half of it," Dolphy scowled. "I also have to share a room with three of the most superficial girlie-girls on this side of the galaxy. And their favorite pastime: torturing me."

Jim looked over at the girl next to him, feeling incredibly sorry for her. He knew what it was like to not fit in; his earlier encounter with Carren during lunch had proven that. But at least he got along with **his** roommate. Dolphy was completely alone. Or at least, she had been before they'd met.

"Hey, look on the bright side," he suggested, trying to cheer her up. "At least now you've got me." Morph flew out of his bag and gave Dolphy a lick on the cheek, winning a small giggle from her and a scratch on the back. "And you've got Morph, too."

Dolphy smiled at him, her eyes sparkling like emeralds. "Thanks, Jim. That means a lot."

Jim grinned, pleased that he was able to help make her feel better. The two continued down the hallway until Dolphy finally stopped at a door near the end of the hall. "Well, this is my stop." Even from the other side of the door, Jim was able to make out a trio of female voices, all screeching and chattering.

"Why did she pack all this junk anyway?"

"I know, right? She could have at least brought something we could wear."

"Well, these might be worth something. Maybe we can auction them off in the cafeteria."

"Are you serious? Who in their right mind would spend money on those?"

While Jim tried to make heads or tails of what was happening in the dorm, Dolphy groaned and started unlocking the door. "They must be going through my things again," she muttered spitefully. She opened the door and turned to Jim. "I'd better get in there before the Terrible Trio start trying to sell my stuff to the highest bidder. You're sure you know the way back to your room?"

"No problem, I've got it," he assured her. "So, uh, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Definitely. And don't let me forget to show you that canyon after school."

"I won't. Goodnight, Dolphy."

"'Night, Jim," she replied, then slipped into the dorm and closed the door. Jim smiled, then turned around and headed for his own room.

"See you in the morning."

**********

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from my stuff?!"

Just as Dolphy had suspected, her three roommates had been raiding through the wooden chest next to her bed, which she used to hold her belongings. Each of the girls—a felid, a canid, and an avian—was holding either a piece of clothing or a sketchbook in their hands. The human girl snatched up her belongings from them and from off the floor and shoved them back into the trunk.

"Well, what do you know," squawked Meena, the bright yellow avian. "It looks like Snow White was a little late getting back from the ball."

The brunette human rolled her eyes. "That's Cinderella, bird brain."

The brown canid, Stella, growled at her. "You'd better watch the way you talk to us, freak."

"Or what?" Dolphy challenged. "You'll give me rabies?"

Stella snarled again, but was held back by the white felid, Vivian. "Chill, Stella." The cat-girl then turned to Dolphy, who sat glaring at them on her bed. "Where were you, anyway?"

"None of you business, tuna-breath!" she snapped.

"_I_ heard she was with that new guy all day," Meena chimed in. "Jim Hawkins, I think it was."

Vivian scoffed, looking at Dolphy. "**You** were with a boy? _**You?!**_"

The brunette human's eyes narrowed to slits. "I said it's none of your business!"

"I don't know, Viv," Stella joined, smirking spitefully. "I just can't picture a guy willingly spending time with this pathetic excuse for a girl."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Dolphy burst out, her face already heating up. "Why do you always have to insult me like that? I've finally found someone who actually likes being around me and you have to go and keep on treating me like dirt. Why can't you just mind your own freaking business?!?"

Meena grinned slyly. "So you **were** hanging out with him."

Dolphy slapped a hand over her mouth, cursing herself silently. They'd planned this so she would get angry and spill her secrets in a rage. And she'd fallen for it without a second thought. She groaned. _How can these three Prada princesses be such evil masterminds?_

"Awww, that's so cute," Vivian cooed. "The little freak has a crush on the newbie."

Regaining her self-control, Dolphy glared at the felid standing in front of her. "Yeah, better him than that idiot you're drooling over, Carren."

"You mean the 'idiot' who beat your little pal in the race this afternoon? I heard that Hawkins loser didn't even **finish**."

"He is **not** a loser!"

"Then why's he wasting his time with you?"

The teenager scowled at her roommates, ready to tear them apart, but kept quiet. Arguing with them was a waste of her time; it wasn't exactly fair anyway, since they were always ganged up on her three-to-one. Besides, the sooner she gave up, the sooner they'd finish tormenting her and the sooner she could be left alone.

"What's wrong, Dolphin Girl? No snappy comebacks?"

_How 'bout I bite your head off, fur ball? Is that 'snappy' enough for you?_

Stella sighed impatiently. "Come on, girls, there's a party in the next hall and we're missing it because of this freak. Let's just go already."

Dolphy raised an eyebrow. "Who goes to a party after midnight?"

"Cool people," Meena answered with obvious superiority in her voice. "Which is exactly why **you** aren't coming."

"Oh, how disappointing," Dolphy shot back sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "And I was so looking forward to spending more time with the three people I **hate** most."

"Don't worry, loser. We can finish our chat later. I want to hear **all** about what you and your little boyfriend did tonight."

Staring daggers into her three roommates, she watched as they left the room, cackling like the witches they were. Fuming, Dolphy slouched back on the bed and glared at the ceiling, using one hand to open the trunk next to her and reach in. She fished around for a moment before pulling out a grey lioness plush toy and hugged it to her chest, starting to calm down almost instantly. She was finally alone, with no irritating roommates to bother her. Just alone with her thoughts.

And her thoughts were constantly going back to Jim.

Why had he opened up to her so easily? Why had **she** opened up to **him**? She was usually so much more careful when talking to people, especially ones she didn't know. But somehow, this one guy, this stranger who she'd only met that morning, had found a way past her usually guarded nature. Maybe it was because she'd thought there was something different about him.

Maybe he **was** different.

Most if the students at the academy completely ignored Dolphy, and the ones who didn't, like Carren and Vivian and their friends, were always verbally abusing her and making her life miserable. Jim hadn't done that. He had never done anything remotely mean to her since they'd met, no matter how short of a time that had been. Most people would have stopped spending time with her by now, but he had actually asked if he would see her tomorrow. Did that mean he wanted to hang out with her more?

Dolphy stroked the mark on her lioness' forehead, similar to the one around her neck save for the star in between the two dolphins. Ever since she'd arrived at the Interstellar Academy, she'd regretted ever setting foot on Imeria. Maybe Jim would be the one who would turn things around.

Maybe, just maybe, he'd be the one to save her.

**********

As quietly as possible, Jim slid the door open and crept into the room. He'd miraculously managed to find his way to the door without getting lost, and was now trying to get to bed without waking Rakitan.

"Where've you been?"

Jim jumped slightly and whipped around to see his roommate sitting up in bed, rubbing two eyes with the heel one hand. Obviously, he hadn't been quiet enough.

"Sorry, dude. I, uh, got lost."

Rakitan smirked tiredly. "You were with that girl Dolphy, weren't you?"

"Uh… maybe?"

The Kimanakan sniggered. "I should have guessed."

Jim simply rolled his eyes and headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Rakitan, however, wasn't so willing to let the matter drop.

"So, what did you two do?"

"Nothing much," Jim answered, yanking on a pair of pajamas. "We mostly just talked. I ended up telling her about Treasure Planet."

"Really? Wow, I didn't think you'd tell **anybody** about that."

"Yeah, well, she was curious. I accidentally let it slip in the cafeteria after Carren started bugging us."

"**Carren** knows about it, too? Oh man, you are _never_ going to hear the end of that. It'll be all over the school by noon tomorrow."

"Yeah, no kidding," Jim said, finishing in the bathroom and climbing into his bed, while Morph flew over and cuddled into his make-shift bunk in an empty dresser drawer. "Along with the results of my race today, that'll probably be Gossip Topic Number One."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that, by the way."

"Don't worry about it, man," Jim assured him. He smiled and mumbled something under his breath before drifting off to sleep.

"It was worth it."

* * *

**Wow, I thought the girls at _my_ school were brats. I honestly don't know how Dolphy stands them.**

**And Jim and Dolphy can't stop thinking about each other. How sweet!**

**Jim had one heck of a first day at the Academy, huh?**

**Okay, my computer isn't working so great at the moment, so I might not be uploading very often. Rest assured, though, I will upload every chance I get. Just a heads up.**

**Well, th-th-th-that's all, folks! Catch ya later.**


	6. What Friends Do

**I'm baaaaack!**

**Thanks for being so patient! My computer isn't broken anymore, so I'm updating again. Yay!!**

**So last time, Jim had just finished his first day at the Intestellar Academy. Now, let's take a look at what happens a few days later.**

**Well, you know the drill: Jim belongs to Disney, Treasure Planet is based on a book by Robert Lewis Stevenson, Dolphy is copyrighted to herself, and I own nothing but the story.**

**Which is starting.....NOW!**

* * *

Chapter 6- That's What Friends Do

Just as Jim had expected, the next few days he was the talk of the school. Even the students who hadn't been at the race had heard about it from their friends, and now everyone seemed to know about it. The spectators had obviously spared no details on Jim's defeat, either. He received quite a few comments on his flying, none of which were all that pleasant.

"Nice crash, genius!"

"Where in the Etherium did you learn how to fly?"

"Next time, you might wanna try **staying airborne**!"

What was worse, Carren had also told everyone about Jim's Treasure Planet revelation, reaping the rewards of his victory on the track. Needless to say, they were about as convinced he was telling the truth as Carren had been. Soon, everyone was mocking, calling him "Treasure Hunter," or "Pirate Boy." Despite their constant jeering, Jim tried to ignore his classmates the best he could. Rakitan and Dolphy knew that he was telling the truth, and that was all that mattered. Besides, he was more interested in getting the school day over with so he could go to the canyon with Dolphy.

She'd been right; the gorge was an ideal location for solar surfing. It was **huge**, perfect for practicing his tricks. Every day, he and Dolphy would travel there after their classes were finished so Jim could show her some of his stunts. He loved the look on her face as when she saw him drop into sheer freefalls and come up completely unshaken. Her expression was a mixture excitement, awe, and even terror, and it was absolutely priceless.

Dolphy loved watching Jim fly; since she didn't know how to do it herself, watching was the next best thing. She'd seen Carren and some of the other students race on the school track, but Jim's surfing was completely different. If only he'd challenged Carren to a freestyle competition instead of a race, he would have won hands down. Dolphy watched mesmerized as he twisted and turned in mid air, looking free as a bird, and couldn't help but smile.

In the past few days, being able to hang out with Jim had become the highlight of her waking hours. Spending time with him made her feel as boundless and free as flying made Jim feel. When she was around him, she felt like she could be herself and actually fit in. It was like he had some special gift for giving her the feeling that she really belonged, something she'd never really felt before meeting him.

Still, life with Vivian and her posse continued to be a living nightmare for Dolphy. It seemed that no matter how great she felt after being with Jim, being around her roommates made her feel just as miserable as it always had. If hanging out with Jim was her escape from the torment of real life, returning to the dorm must have been a reality check.

Dolphy never mentioned her personal problems to Jim, though. She didn't want to bother him with something that didn't concern him; she knew that he had enough of his own problems already. So instead, she kept her "roommate troubles" to herself and tried to enjoy her time with Jim to the fullest.

There were some things, however, that were impossible to hide completely.

**********

Jim lay back on his bed, tapping his pencil rhythmically against his notebook. It was Friday night, and he was getting an early start on his math homework while waiting for Dolphy to show up. She'd gone to her dorm to drop off some textbooks and would probably be back in a few moments. In the meantime, Jim decided to pass the time by doing schoolwork, since Rakitan had chosen to study in the library for an upcoming test.

A knock sounded at the door seconds later, and Jim couldn't hold back a smile as he got up and opened it.

"Hey, long time no see!"

Dolphy sniggered. "Sorry if I kept you waiting."

"No problem. I was just doing some math stuff and-" Jim cut off when he noticed something unusual.

"Hey, what's wrong with your arm?"

The teenager in front of him paled noticeably, and shifted her left arm behind her, trying to hide it from view. But Jim had already seen the thin streams of dark liquid trickling down her forearm and the soaked spot on her shirt sleeve. Ever so gently, he took her wrist and pulled it in front of her. He carefully slid up the sleeve, noticing Dolphy flinch as he did so, and nearly gasped at what he saw.

Four long, deep cuts were carved into the girl's upper arm, reaching from shoulder to elbow.

"It's just a scratch," she reassured him, but continued looking down at the floor, not meeting his eyes. "It's nothing, really."

"Nothing?" Jim looked up at her in disbelief. "Dolphy, your arm's completely ripped up! What happened to you?"

"Well, one of my roommates is a felid, and she has kind of a short fuse, and…" Dolphy trailed off, not wanting to go into detail.

"Your **roommate**did this to you? I know you said you guys didn't get along, but this…" Jim just stared at the marks for a second, horror-struck that someone could actually do this to another person. He finally managed to regain control of himself and led Dolphy into the room. "Come on, I have a first aid kit in the bathroom."

"Jim, I'm fine, honestly," she tried to convince him. She hadn't wanted Jim to make a fuss about it, and that was exactly what he was doing.

"No, you're not. Just wait here, I'll be right back." Jim sat her down onto his bed, then rushed into the bathroom. A moment later, he returned with a small box of medical supplies. Dolphysighed, but shrugged off her book bag and rolled her sleeve up all the way, allowing him better access to the cuts. Jim took out a small bottle of rubbing alcohol from the box, and dripped some of the colorless liquid onto a wash cloth. "Alright, this is going to sting a little, just so you're ready."

The girl winced as the rag came in contact with her skin, but kept still as Jim cleaned the wound.

"So, I'm curious; were you planning on just showing up with your arm all torn up and pretending that nothing had happened?"

Dolphy smiled at him innocently. "I was kind of hoping that you weren't the observant type."

Jim finished cleaning up the slashes, then grabbed a roll of gauze and carefully began wrapping the injury with it. In no time, Dolphy's arm was completely bandaged.

"Who knew there was a doctor in the house?" Dolphy grinned, admiring her friend's work. She looked up at him. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Jim smiled back, glad to have been able to help. "So, how'd that happen?"

Dolphy sighed, using her good hand to dig something out of her book bag. "When I got back to my dorm today, my roommates were in my stuff again. I was trying to get this back from Vivian, but she decided to put up a fight." She pulled out a worn-looking sketchbook and plopped it down in front of Jim.

"You're an artist?"

"Well, how else am I supposed to express myself? You're the only friend I've got, so I don't always have someone to talk to."

"Mind if I take a look?"

"Knock yourself out."

Jim picked up the small book and started flipping through the pages. The pictures were mostly of animals, probably ones from her home world, but he was able to recognize a few of them. One of the characters seemed to show up more often than any of the others: a grey lioness with a mark on its forehead resembling two dolphins and a star. Now that he looked at it more closely, he saw that the mark was almost identical to the pendant on Dolphy's necklace.

"That's my favorite one to draw," Dolphy said, pointing to the lioness. "It's basically what I think I'd look like if I were a lion. My favorite animals are dolphins, so she ended up being gray and having that dolphin symbol on her forehead. I know it's kind of stupid."

"No, these are **really**good, Dolphy." Jim looked up from the sketchbook, smiling. "How'd you learn to draw like this?"

"Years of practice," she smiled. "And, of course, just the right amount of boredom."

Jim laughed. "Well, I can see why Vivian wanted it."

"Oh, Viv wasn't going to keep it; she was probably just going to shred it like she did my arm."

"Why would she do that?"

"Why else? To torture me and make my life miserable."

Jim's heart sank seeing the obvious hopelessness in his friend's face. He'd know that Dolphy couldn't stand her roommates, but he hadn't assumed things were that bad.

"Have you tried telling your teachers about it?"

"They didn't believe me. They said I should try to ignored them and focus on my studies. One of them even said that staying in their room would, and I quote, 'help me learn to get along with others better.' Ha! Yeah, right."

"So, has _this_ kind of thing happened before?" Jim asked, gesturing to her arm.

"Actually," she began hesitantly, "it's probably the fourth time I've been mauled by that fleabag in the past month."

"What?! Dolphy, you can't just let them get away with that! You've gotta tell the headmaster or-"

"Jim, this is exactly why I didn't want you to know about it. I can handle this myself, so you just deal with your own problems, alright?"

"Wait a minute: you were **trying** to keep me from finding this out?"

Dolphy gazed down at her feet. "I didn't want you to worry about me. I know that you've been having a few difficulties of your own lately, and I didn't want you preoccupied with mine, too."

Jim honestly didn't know what to say. He was flattered that Dolphy would think of his problems before her own, and impressed with her courage in wanting to face her problems by herself. But most of all, he felt terrible that she hadn't told him how bad things really were.

"Dolphy, I get why you didn't tell me, but I'm your friend and I want to help you. And I can't do that unless you tell me what's going on."

She looked up at him. "You really want to help me that much?"

"Of course. That's what friends do."

The girl just stared deep into his eyes for a moment. Did he really want to help her? He seemed sincere, but it was a difficult concept for her to grasp. She wasn't used to the idea of someone wanting to lend a hand for her; she'd always had to depend primarily on herself. No one else seemed to care about whether things were difficult for her or not. Dolphy smiled. Jim really was different after all.

"Thanks, Jim."

"You're welcome. And, just so you know, I'm always here in case you get attacked by any cat freaks."

Dolphyhad to laugh. "I'll keep that in mind." She rolled her sleeve back down over the new bandages and stood up, grabbing her sketchbook and book bag. "Well, come on. We still need to get a solar surfer from the school's shed before we head out to the canyon."

The brunette boy blinked in surprise. "You sure you still want to go? I mean, it looked like you lost a lot of blood."

"Like I said, it's nothing. It'll take a lot more than a few scratches to keep me down."

Jim smiled and got up from the bed. "You know, you're not like most girls."

"I take that as a compliment."

* * *

**Awwww! Another warm, fuzzy ending.**

**I know that so far, this story hasn't really lived up to it's "Adventure" label, but trust me: things are about to get _very_ interesting in the next chapter.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews, alerts, and favorites. You guys rock!**


	7. Discovery

**Sorry I haven't been updating. I've been sick for the past few days. Let me tell you: NOT FUN!**

**Okay, so here's where we get to the start of our adventure. Thanks for being patient!**

**Jim & Treasure Planet © Disney/Rbert Lewis Stevenson**

**Dolphy © herself (her background is my idea, though. I'm not entirely sure what her past or her family is really like, so I'm gonna wing it. Please don't kill me, Dolphy!)**

**Story © ME!**

**And here... we... GO!**

* * *

Chapter 7- Discovery

A few hours later, Jim and Dolphy were on their way back to the academy from the canyon. The sun had already set, and they'd finished yet another one of Jim's solar surfing displays. Dolphy was just dying to try it for herself, but decided against it. She may have been good at skateboarding and surfing on Earth, but this was different. In the sports she'd done on her home planet, when you fell off you hit water, or snow, or, worst case scenario, cement. In solar surfing, falling off meant plummeting hundreds of feet before splattering across the ground; not exactly something she wanted to experience firsthand. So instead, she settled for watching Jim fly and commenting on his moves afterwards.

"Have you ever considered trying out stunts that **weren't** completely life-threatening?" she asked sardonically as the two walked through the woods.

"Aw, come on. Where's the fun in that?"

"Well, I suppose after the adventures **you've** had, finding thrills is a bit of a challenge."

Jim chuckled, then paused for a moment. "You know, I just realized how little I really know about **you**."

Dolphy looked over at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I've obviously told you a lot of things about me, but you've never told me much about yourself, except the stuff about your roommates. And even **that** I had to pry out of you."

"There's not much to tell, honestly. I grew up on a planet called Earth, which is pretty far from here. I'm the youngest of for kids, and the only girl, so that's probably why I didn't end up all, you know... **girly**."

"You've got three older brothers? Geez, that must be pretty crazy."

"No kidding. I'm also kind of the black sheep in my family. We're pretty close knit, but I'm more of a loner; my brothers prefer the term 'antisocial'. Plus, all of my other relatives are pretty down to earth, literally; but I've always had my head in the clouds."

"Is that how you wound up at the Interstellar Academy?"

"You got it. My dad thought it would be a chance for me to learn to work with others, and my brothers probably just wanted me gone. To tell the truth, though, I only agreed to come because I was hoping to find an adventure."

Jim smiled. He knew exactly what she meant. "Well, I'll tell you what: the next time I stumble across a potential adventure, you'll be the first one to know."

"Gee, thanks," she grinned, rolling her eyes. "But you and I both know that the odds of that happening are a million to—WHOA!"

Dolphy had been so preoccupied with her conversation that she hadn't notice an exposed tree root in their path. Now she'd tripped on it and was quickly losing her balance. The next thing she knew, Dolphy had fallen right into Jim's arms.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Y-yeah," Dolphy stuttered, feeling her face begin to flush. She wasn't someone who felt particulary comfortable with being touched, not even by people she knew well. But there she was, standing in the arms of a guy that she'd known for all of one week. Needless to say, it was a bit awkward for her. Jim, however, didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable with their current situation. In fact, he feeling basically the same way he had when he'd first seen her. Truth be told, he thought that she looked so much more beautiful up close.

After a few moments, Dolphy finally managed to regain her composure. "Uh, Jim? I'm not falling anymore. You can let go now."

Jim blinked, snapping out of his trance. "Oh! Right, right…eh heh, s-sorry," he managed, awkwardness finally setting in as he let her go. He dragged his fingers nervously through his dark bangs, incredibly thankful that it was night. Had the sun been out, Dolphy would have seen just how much he was blushing.

The brunette girl smiled sheepishly, then her sight wandered to something behind Jim.

"Hey, what's that?"

Jim glanced over his shoulder, needing to scan the area for a moment before seeing what had gotten her attention. A few yards away, almost completely hidden by foliage, was what appeared to be the entrance to a small cavern.

"I don't know," Jim answered, slowly creeping towards the opening. "Come on, let's go check it out."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Dolphy asked warily.

The young man smirked back at her. "What happened to your sense of adventure?"

Dolphy glared at him, but reluctantly edged forward, following him towards the cave entrance. Inside, the cavern was pitch black, too dark to see any of the interior.

"So, how are we going to explore if we can't see our hands in front of our faces?"

Jim looked over to her and smiled. "I think I've got an idea." He shrugged off his bag and reached into one of the pockets, where Morph had been taking a nap. He gently pulled the blob out of his hiding place and woke him up by rubbing the top of his head. The shape-shifter yawned, then floated up to his master's face, eagerly awaiting instruction.

"Okay, Morphy, I need you to change into a torch or a lantern, something we can use to explore this cave."

Morph thought for a moment, trying to decide on a good form. The protoplasm finally chose one and shifted into a small but reasonably bright light bulb.

"Well, _that_ should work nicely," Dolphy grinned. Morph floated into the cavern, with the two teens trailing behind.

The walls of the cave were relatively smoothed, leading to the theory that it had been carved out by people. The floor, however, was rocky and uneven, and Dolphy had to watch the path ahead of her carefully to avoid falling. She wasn't sure if she could handle being caught by Jim again without exploding with embarrassment.

For the first fifty yards or so, it seemed like there was nothing but tunnel. After a few minutes, though, the tunnel widened and opened up into a large hollow, easily bigger than one of the student's dorms at the academy. The cave was filled with boxes and barrels, but didn't look like it had been used in decades.

"What is this place?" Dolphy's voice was a near whisper.

"Looks like some kind of old storeroom or something." Jim gazed around them, scanning as much of the area as he could in the minimal light Morph provided. "Hey, I think there are some matches over here. Maybe we can use them. Try to find a lantern."

"Uh…here! Found one." Dolphy tossed over the old oil lamp, which Jim caught and got to work lighting. Most of the matches were damp and useless, but after a few tries he was finally able to ignite the candle in the lamp, giving them a more lasting source of light.

Seeing that his light was no longer required, Morph reverted back into his original form, taking an opportunity to explore the cave on his own. Dolphy smiled as she saw the little pink shape-shifter disappear behind a small stack of crates. _I guess a strong sense of curiosity is one thing we all have in common here_. Seconds later, though, the two teenagers heard a shrill shriek and saw a pink blur as Morph shot back across the room and hid himself behind Jim's shoulder.

"What's wrong, Morphy? You look like you just saw a ghost." The little blob's only response was to shift into an arrow pointing in the direction he'd just come from, the slipped back into Jim's bag. Jim looked over at Dolphy, then started to creep towards the indicated location. He lifted the lantern slightly, and saw something that made his blood run cold.

On the ground, pierced through by a worn-looking blade, was a skull.

From the large fangs and multiple eye sockets, it was obvious that the skeletal head was anything but human. Still, that didn't make the sight any less unsettling. Dolphy crept up to the morbid display, gasping and stopping dead in her tracks when she caught sight of it. The two just stared at it for a moment, until Jim voiced both of their fears.

"It's a warning." He glanced around, the cave suddenly looking more sinister than before. "This is a **pirate's** hideout."

"Oh man…" Dolphy murmured, eyeing the crates around them warily, as if they would come alive and attack them at any moment. "I can't believe this has been here all this time and no one else found it."

"Well, the place looks deserted. I don't think anyone's been down here in hundreds of years. I mean, just look at how out of date all this stuff is."

"You're telling me." Dolphy picked up an ancient-looking laser pistol from on top of one of the boxes. "Wonder if these things even work anymore..."

As if on cue, the gun shot off in her hand, sending a laser blast ricocheting off of the cave walls. The two teenagers dove for cover on the ground, not daring to get up until the shot blasted apart the corner of a wooden case.

Jim propped himself up on his elbows and glanced over at his friend, eyebrow raised. "Does **that** answer your question?"

The girl beside his grinned sheepishly, and Jim had to let out a small chuckle. Glancing around the room, his gaze paused on a small gap in the wall, almost completely hidden by boxes and blocked off by a mid-sized boulder. Rising to his feet, the curious young man slowly made his way over to the opening.

"Here, help me move this," he called over to Dolphy, who was by his side in a heartbeat. The rock was surprisingly heavy for its size, but together the two were able to push it away from the opening. Inside was a small, weathered-looking chest, completely ordinary in appearance.

"Why would they go to the trouble of hiding this better than anything else?" Dolphy murmured.

"I'm not sure," Jim answered, "but that's what we're going to find out." With those words, he reached back into his bag and brought the nervous pink shape-shifter out of his hiding place. "Don't worry, Morph, it's okay," he assured the small creature. "I just need you to open this and you can go right back into the bag."

Morph nodded anxiously, and flew over to the chest. He examined the padlock carefully for a moment, then squeezed his jellylike body into the keyhole. There was an audible click, and a pink blur flashed out of the lock and back into Jim's book bag. The two teens looked at each other, neither one quite sure what to expect. Finally, Jim drew a deep breath, slowly opened the chest…

And felt his heart skip a beat.

"It can't be…"

The boy's hands trembled slightly as he lifted the object out of its container. He was hardly able to control his breathing as he brought it up to his face. Beside him, Dolphy leaned in closer, trying to get a better look at the strange object.

"What? What is it?"

Jim's lips slowly curved into a smile, his gaze never leaving the metallic orb resting in his hands.

"Our ticket to an adventure."

* * *

**Aw, man, I would LOVE to be able to see Jim blushing. He never does in the movie, but I imagine he'd look kinda cute. Most people do when they're embarrassed, especially Disney characters.**

**Also, a had to make something go BOOM in this chapter. Well, okay, lasers don't go 'boom', but you get my point.**

**So now they have a metal sphere. Three guesses what it does, and two don't count.**

**Where will it lead to? Who hid it in the first place? What problems we be caused by Jim and Dolphy finding it? And why am I asking _you _all these questions when I clearly know the answers?**

**Stay tuned, loyal readers!**


	8. The Calypso

**I've returned again!**

**Sorry it took so long. I've had a lot of other stuff to deal with. Mostly homework. Hate it.**

**Anyways, last time, Dolphy got caught by Jim, a laser blasted part of a crate, and our two heroes found a shiny metal ball.**

**Now what? Let's find out!**

**Jim & Treasure Planet (c) Disney/Robert Lewis Stevenson**

**Dolphy & Rakitan (c) Dolphy (btw, I also have a little brother. I feel your pain.)**

**Story & the _Calypso_ (c) ME!!!**

**Here we go again.**

* * *

The _Calypso_

"So… **where** exactly did you say you guys found this thing?"

The two human teenagers had wasted no time in getting back to the Academy to get a better look at their find. When they'd returned to Jim's dorm, Rakitan had already gotten back from the library. Now, he sat on his bed staring at the metal sphere in his hands, while Jim and Dolphy sat across from him on Jim's bed.

"In an abandoned pirate hideout outside the school grounds," Dolphy answered nonchalantly. Apparently, neither she nor Jim was bothered by the fact that they were breaking school regulation by leaving the campus after hours.

"Riiight… so, what is it, anyway?" He tossed the orb to his roommate, who caught it one-handed. Jim shifted the polished artifact, lightly tracing its strange but familiar designs with his fingertips.

"I think it's a map," he finally answered, staring into his distorted reflection in the glossy bronze. "It's exactly like the one that led to Treasure Planet."

"But that doesn't make sense," Dolphy interjected from beside him. "I thought it was destroyed when the planet self-destructed."

"It was. I think this one leads somewhere else. I just don't know where."

"Well, there's one way to find out. You think you can open it?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, I was just goofing around when I figured out how to work the first map, so maybe I can open this one on purpose. But… it might not have the same combination as the first one, and I'm not sure I can even remember **that** one, either."

"Just give it a shot," Rakitan urged. "I'm mean, what have we got to lose?"

"Alright…" Jim hesitantly began pushing the small, nearly camouflaged buttons which covered the object. Suddenly, all of the buttons retracted simultaneously, leaving behind a number of movable hemispheres. Jim smiled, then paused. He couldn't remember which hemispheres to turn. After all, it had been almost a year since the voyage. It was honestly a miracle that he'd been able to recall which order to press the buttons in.

At that moment, Morph flew up in front of his friend, noticing the dilemma. The blob shifted into an exact copy of the map in Jim' hand, twisted the hemispheres in a specific pattern, then exploded into a miniature fireworks display.

"Oh, yeah!" Jim exclaimed as he recognized the sequence. "Thanks, Morphy." He copied the combination and, with a mechanical click, the map opened.

Instantly, a blur of green pixels exploded from the small relic, illuminating the room in an eerie glow. In a matter of seconds, the dorm room had been transformed into a holographic planetarium. Jim smiled widely as his friends gaped at the display around them.

"Oh my God…" Dolphy trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Okay, we're on the planet Imeria, which should be right… here!" Jim pointed out one of the many dots scattered around the room and tapped it. As soon as he did, the image shifted, as if the group was moving through space. The teens watched as stars and planets flew past them, Jim taking a mental note of the more prominent landmarks on the route. Finally, the scene around them slowed to a stop, zooming in on one particular hologram.

The image, however, wasn't a planet. In fact, it appeared to be a very large ship. A shimmering line extended from the bow and stern, showing a sort of path.

"I don't get it," Rakitan spoke, finally remembering how to speak. "Why would the map lead us to a boat?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's a glitch?" Jim suggested. "Dolph, what do you think? Dolphy?"

The girl didn't answer. She just stood absolutely still, staring wide-eyed at the image in front of them. It was as if she'd forgotten her friends were even there. It was like the holographic ship had suddenly become the entire world to her.

"Dolphy, what is it?" Jim persisted, starting to grow concerned. What was going on with her? Did she see something they didn't?

The mesmerized teenager finally snapped back to reality, and her faced split into a huge grin. "That's not just a ship, guys. That's the _Calypso_."

Rakitan gave her a curious look. "The **what**?"

Dolphy looked over at him, equally questioning. "You've never heard of the _Calypso_?" She changed her gaze to Jim, looking for some form of confirmation, but he simply shrugged and closed the map, returning the room to its original appearance.

"Sorry, but Raki's guess is as good as mine."

Dolphy rolled her eyes. "I can't believe this," she muttered in exasperation. "I practically grew up on the story and you two have no idea what I'm talking about!"

"No idea! No idea!" Morph chirped happily.

Now it was Jim's turn to roll his eyes. "Alright, alright, I get it! Just tell us about this ship already."

"Fine," she sighed, allowing herself to grin slightly at his exaggerated expression. She sat down on the foot of the bed and looked up at her two friends. "Well, I assume you guys both know enough about Captain Flint, right?"

"Well, duh," Rakitan retorted. "After all, Jim was the one who found his treasure."

"Well, the way Flint **got** all that treasure was by ambushing merchant ships and stealing their cargo. Jim, you said you guys found some sort of portal when you were on Treasure Planet, right?"

"Yeah, we figured that's how he managed to get around undetected. He just had to pick out where he needed to go and the portal took him there. He was there and back in nothing flat. Flint had the element of surprise, so it was no problem."

"Well, there was **one** ship that wasn't so easy for him to surprise."

The Kimanakan grinned and crossed his arms. "Let me guess: this _Calypso_ you keep talking about?

"Exactly," the girl nodded, beaming. "The _Calypso_ was this **huge** merchant vessel that was made to carry and protect some giant pile of ancient jewels and stuff that was found on an old abandoned planet. Flint must have heard about it, because the night after the launch he and his crew attacked the ship. The _Calypso_, though, was captained by some pirate who'd gone straight and started working for the Royal Armada. Apparently, he and Flint had known each other, so he knew all of Flint's tricks and was able to evade all the traps and ambushes that the pirates set up.

"Flint ended up trailing the _Calypso_ for almost a month, right into an asteroid field at the edge of the galaxy. The debris slowed down the _Calypso_, and Flint took the opportunity to attack. The pirates killed everyone on the ship, even the captain, but they didn't destroy the ship. Flint decided that a ship strong enough outrun a band of pirates for that long should be a pirate vessel itself. Supposedly, he designed some sort of autopilot system, so the ship would never be in the same place twice. A trove that was always moving, so even if someone found it once, they wouldn't be able to track it down a second time."

Jim looked down at the orb in his hands, then back up to his companions. "So… this map must have some sort of connection to the _Calypso_ so it can track its movements."

"That map," Dolphy grinned, "could lead to a hoard as legendary and mysterious as Treasure Planet."

The boy stared at his distorted reflection in the metal sphere, trying to wrap his mind around what was going on. He'd promised to help Dolphy find an adventure, and then moments later they discover a hidden cave containing a coded map that leads to a treasure no one has seen twice. It was like fate had decided to step in and make life more interesting.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Rakitan suddenly interjected, put his hands up in front of himself as a signal to stop. "Let me get this straight: you think that this ball thing leads to an ancient treasure on a ship that's been set on autopilot for the past hundred years?"

"It makes sense actually," the human boy answered. "I mean, Flint was renowned for using the unexpected. And, honestly, this is as unexpected as it gets."

"Well, sure, but come on, doesn't this whole thing sound so just a little…"

"Crazy?" Dolphy offered, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, yeah."

"Because, I'm pretty sure a lot of people thought that the idea of Treasure Planet existing was crazy."

"She's got a point," Jim admitted, though he had been convinced from the start.

Rakitan sighed. There was clearly no point in trying to talk any sense into the two humans. "Fine. But what are we going to do now?"

"I think we'd better take it to the headmaster."

"WHAT?!?" Dolphy turned to Jim looking at him like he'd just something inexcusably horrible. "Are you nuts? We can't just take a treasure map to the headmaster's office. He'll probably think we stole it or something."

"We'll tell him the truth."

"What truth? You mean that we were off school grounds after hours, deliberately breaking Academy regulations, and found it in an abandoned cave that was once used by pirates?"

"You weren't so bothered by it before," Rakitan pried.

"Well, that's because no one was gonna **find out**. I didn't think we were gonna personally have to tell a teacher about. We'd probably get detention until we graduate, that's how strict they are here."

"Okay, what do you suggest?"

"I don't know, **not** tell the headmaster, for one thing."

"Dolphy," Jim interjected, "if we don't show this to someone, there's no point in even having it. We can't exactly go out and look for the treasure by ourselves. Just think about it; we could be credited with the discovery of one of the greatest finds in history for bringing this map in."

The girl hesitated, but begrudgingly saw her friend's point. She wasn't thrilled about getting in trouble for sneaking off campus with Jim, but they couldn't really do anything with the map alone. Besides, this was the _**Calypso**_ they were talking about. Her mother had always told her stories about it when she was a kid. It had been her childhood dream to be the one to find it. Now, she had a chance to do just that.

Finally, Dolphy sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. We'll take the map to the headmaster. Let's just do it now before I come to my senses."

"Now? But it's almost ten o'clock."

"Jim, trust me, he'll still be in his office. I don't think that guy _ever_ sleeps."

Her friend smiled. At least her sense of humor was back. "Alright, let's go." He tucked the map into his pocket and headed towards the door.

"You guys want me to come?" the Kimanakan asked. "I know I didn't help find the map, but I can still come for moral support if you need it."

"Thanks, Raki, but you can stay here. There's no point in all three of us getting in trouble."

"I honestly don't see the point in **any** of us getting in trouble," Dolphy murmured beside him.

Jim chuckled slightly and opened the door. "Come on, let's get going."

Groaning, Dolphy followed the boy out of the room, taking the lead as they entered the hall. _I just know I'm gonna regret this_, she sighed to herself, but continued to guide the way to the headmaster's office.

* * *

**So, now you know where the map leads. Honestly, I don't know where I came up with this idea. I do know why I chose the name, though:**

**1. For all those who've seen Pirates 3: At World's End, you know that Calypso is the sea godess and an important figure in pirate lore**

**2. I like the name. Sounded like a cool name for a ship. I like naming ships, it's fun! :D**

**Anyway, I haven't finished the rest of the chapters, so it may take me a while to upload. All previous chapters were prewritten, which is why I was updating so quickly in the beginning. I'll try to finish the next chapter as soon as possible, promise.**

**Thanks for reading. Reviews are love!**


	9. Midnight

**I LIIIIIIIIIIIVE!**

**Hey everybody, check it out! Contrary to popular believe, I'm NOT dead!**

**Sorry I've been MIA for so long. Lots of things to deal with in the hardly-interesting real world. Thankfully , though, I've been able to do some work on other chapters in the story, so you have not waited in vain.**

**Wow, I have more reviews than chapters! Thanks so much to all my loyal fans who have read, reviewed, set up alerts for, and even favorited this first attempt at a fanfic. You guys rock! (Gives readers vitual cookies)**

**Alright, so in case anyone has forgotten, Jim and Dolphy found a map to a legendary ship known as the Calypso, which is filled with gold and jewels and is just waiting for a group of brave adventurers to go find it. Now, against Dolphy's better judgement, they're taking it to the school's headmaster. Let's hope he's not as strict as Dolphy say's he is.**

**Treasure Planet (c) Disney/Robert Lewis Stevenson**

**OC's (except Blazer & Captain Leander) (c) Dolphy**

**Story and previous mentioned OC's (c) ME**

**Game on!**

* * *

Midnight

As Dolphy had suspected, the Academy's headmaster, Captain Leander, was still working in his office when they had arrived. He was a felid, like Captain Amelia of the Legacy, but more resembled a lion than anything else. A thick golden mane framed his cat-like face, and bright amber eyes shown with dignity and authority. It was almost unnerving for Jim to be watched by those eyes, feeling like a mouse being stared down by a predator, but he tried his best to hide it.

"Let me see if I understand what you are trying to tell me," Leander spoke in a low, thundering voice. "The two of you are admitting to leaving school grounds without the consent of your teachers, exploring a potentially dangerous cave by yourselves, and smuggling an object of unknown origin onto the campus."

"Yes, sir," Jim answered reluctantly, fully aware of just how bad the situation sounded. He looked over at Dolphy, who was sitting beside him and giving him a look that clearly asked: _Still think this was a good idea?_

"I suppose I don't have to tell you two just how serious your offenses are. Had you done these things without being aware that they were against school regulations, there would not have been any problem. However, you obviously had full knowledge that what you were doing was wrong and went through with it anyway."

"With all due respect, sir," Dolphy spoke up, "I was the one who suggested leaving campus and found the cave in the first place. I believe that the fault lies more on me than on Mr. Hawkins."

Jim stared at her, at a complete loss for words. What was she doing? She was the one who hadn't wanted to get in trouble in the first place. Why was she taking the blame for what they'd both done? He was as much at fault as she was.

"But I was the one who suggested exploring the cave in the first place, and it was my idea to take the map. If anyone deserves to get in trouble, it's me."

"Enough!" Both students fell silent immediately. "Now, seeing as this is the first offense for both of you, I'll let you off with a warning _this time_. However, if I find that the either of you continue to break regulation, you **will** be punished accordingly. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," they answered in unison.

"As for this so-called map that you found," Leander continued, picking up the orb from its place on his desk, "it shall be kept locked up until I find reason to do otherwise with it. Now, I recommend that the two of you return to your rooms."

Dolphy looked about ready to object, but Jim spoke up in time to stop her. "Yes sir, thank you." With that, he dragged Dolphy out of the room before she did something they would both regret.

As soon as they were out of hearing range, Dolphy practically erupted. "I can't believe this! We found the map to the _Calypso_ and he's not even gonna **try** to find it!"

"Calm down, Dolphy. At least we didn't get in trouble."

"But it didn't make any difference. It's like we never even found the thing. And you didn't even try to do anything about it!"

"Because I didn't want us to get in trouble right after we got off scot free. Honestly, I'm not too happy about it either." He laid a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Look, maybe if we talk to him tomorrow, we can convince him to launch an expedition to find the Calypso. But right now, I think we should just go to our dorms and get some sleep."

"Fine," she murmured. "But I'm still ticked off about it."

"That's fine, as long as you don't do anything stupid," Jim retorted with a grin as the two started towards the dorms. "By the way," he began, looking over at her, "why'd you try to take the blame back there?"

Dolphy glanced up at him and smiled. "That's what friends do, right? They help each other out."

The boy grinned at her answer, and they continued on their way to their rooms.

Little did the two humans suspect that someone had heard their entire conversation from the point where they'd left Leander's office. Someone who had been particularly interested in the mention of 'treasure.'

**********

Jim groaned as a small noise pulled him from his slumber. He opened an eye to see Morph sitting in front of his face on the pillow, chirring quietly. The shape-shifter's face wasn't happy and playful as usual, though. In fact, he almost looked… worried.

"Morphy?" Jim sat out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced over at the clock next to his bed. It was almost three in the morning. "What is it, buddy? What's wrong?"

Morph responded with a few chirps, the darted under the door and out into the hallway. It occurred to Jim that the creature wanted him to follow, so he slipped out of bed and headed for the door. He was just about to turn the knob when he heard a groan behind him, then spun around to see his roommate sit up in bed, yawning tiredly.

"Is this gonna be a regular thing now?" He inquired groggily. "You sneaking in and out of the room and waking me up in the middle of the night?"

"Morph's trying to show me something." Jim wasn't quite sure why, but he whispered his response. Morph was usually such a joker; it was rare for him to take anything even remotely seriously. Whatever it was he had to see, it must be big.

"Well, wait for me," Rakitan answered, slipping out of his bed. "I can't go back to sleep with you out doing something potentially exciting."

Jim smirked, then silently left the dorm with Rakitan following behind. Morph was waiting just outside, but zipped off just as soon as his master caught sight of him. The two teenagers quietly made their way down the hall, trying their best not to make the slightest noise. Everyone else in the Academy was asleep by now, and the last thing either boy wanted was to wake someone up. Glancing over his shoulder at the doors behind him in case one should start to open, Jim crept around a bend in the hall…

And knocked right into another person.

"AAAHHH!!"

"AAAHHH!!"

Jim jumped back, his slamming heart threatening to break through his ribcage. Suddenly, he recognized who was in front of him.

"Dolphy? What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you guys the same thing," the brunette girl whispered back, clutching her chest directly over her own heart.

"Morph woke Jim up, Jim woke me up, and now we're both following a pink blob," Rakitan answered, sounding a bit annoyed. "Why are you here?"

"Two of my roommates snuck out of our dorm, and I wanted to find out what they're up to. But I lost track of them and ended up running into you two. Literally."

The three teenagers jumped as Morph chirped from the other end of the hall, no sooner having recaptured their attention than he zipped around a corner, beckoning them to follow. Jim turned to his companions, placed a finger to his lips, then rose to his feet and started after their protoplasmic guide. The human girl and the Kimanakan boy shared a quick glance and got up from the ground as well, trailing after their friend. The trio continued through the halls until they reached the small shape-shifter had come to a stop in front of a slightly opened door.

"That's Leander's office," Dolphy stated. "Why would Morph want us to come here?"

Jim didn't offer an answer as he crept towards the door, peering into the large room. But instead of their intimidating headmaster, it was occupied by a number of students, all different races, who were whispering to each other in hushed tones. "What are these guys doing here?" The brunette scanned the faces, pausing when he came to one that he recognized. "Wait… isn't that Lenaro?"

He felt Dolphy slide up next to him as she gazed through the door, curious. "Yeah, you're right," she murmured, keeping her voice low so they wouldn't be detected. "And those are my roommates."

"What's going on in there?" Rakitan edged towards his friends, unable to see into the room. Jim ignored him as his gaze stayed locked on the blonde student, who appeared to be fiddling with part of the desk. He heard a click, then the sound of wood sliding against wood, and watched as Lenaro pulled something out of the door he'd picked open.

"Oh my God…" He breathed as he recognized the object in the bully's hand. "They're stealing the map." He slowly backed away from the opening, praying that no one behind the door could hear them. "Come on," he whispered to his companions. "We need to get out of here and get help."

"Leaving so soon?" Jim bolted around, only to have a clawed hand snatch his collar and slam him into the wall. He groaned, opening his eyes to see Blazer smirking maliciously at him. Behind the panther, Dolphy and Rakitan had also been caught, struggling to get away from their assailants. Blazer chuckled lowly, completely unfazed by the glare being shot at him from grey-blue eyes.

"The party's just beginning."

* * *

**OHMYGOSH! Cliffhanger! Hehehe, I'm evil.**

**Loving the reviews! Keep them up. You're all awaesome, and I'll get Chapter 10 done ASAP.**

**Laterz!**


	10. Stolen

**Hey, guys, what's up?**

***Dodges tomatoes and bricks being thrown at her***

**OKAY, OKAY, I GET IT! You guys are clearly miffed that I haven't been posting new chapters for over a year. And I don't blame you. However, I've had a lot of stuff to deal with over the past year, including but not limited to:**

**-Having my prewritten chapters deleted**

**-Getting my computer taken away**

**-Poor grades in school**

**-Severe writer's block**

**-Getting distracted with other story ideas (it happens)**

**-Transferring to a new school**

**So… yeah, it's been hectic. I would've posted an update, but I didn't want to put you guys through that. Personally, I HATE when authors post chapters just to say that they'll post a real chapter in a few weeks. You think they've finally gotten back to working on the story, but it's nothing but empty promises! We don't need excuses, WE NEED RESULTS!**

**Ergo, I decided to finish the next chapter before giving you guys a well-deserved explanation for being MIA. It's the least I can do after leaving you guys on a cliffhanger. Your patience has not been in vain!**

**Okay, Treasure Planet is Disney's, Dolphy's characters belong to her, and I own everything else!**

**Lights! Camera! ACTION!**

**

* * *

**Chapter 10-Stolen

Jim grunted as he was pushed onto his knees, two clawed hands holding him down by his shoulders. Out of the corner of his eye, has saw his friends being shown the same treatment. Rakitan was clearly nervous, while Dolphy just looked like she wanted to hurt someone. If nothing else, he had to admire the girl's courage. A cold chuckle drew his attention to Carren's blonde sidekick standing over him.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Lenaro looked up at Blazer, who was glaring at him for the comment. "Oh. No offense, dude." The panther growled, but seemed to let it go.

"What are you doing here, freak?" Stella snarled angrily at her human roommate.

Dolphy smirked. "Aw, what's wrong, dog breath? Aren't you happy to see me?"

The canid girl growled, but was held back from lashing out at the girl by Lenaro. "Relax, Stell. I got this." He turned back to the three eavesdroppers. "So, you guys are out and about a little late, aren't you?"

Jim glared. "We know what you're up to, and you're not getting away with it."

The group of amateur pirates laughed out loud around the three. "You seem pretty sure of that. Let's see… we've got **this **now," Lenaro held up the metal orb in his hand, "and you three are the only ones who know about it. Yeah, I think we are getting away with it."

"And what, you expect us to just not tell anyone?" Rakitan burst out incredulously.

Lenaro chuckled, a cold sound that sent chills down Jim's spine. He reached into one of the desk's drawers and pulled out a laser pistol. "I believe the saying is 'dead men tell no tales.'"

Jim's blood ran cold. He wasn't really going to **kill **them… was he?

"Now let's see… who should go first? The annoying blue roommate, perhaps?" He aimed the gun at Rakitan, who gulped audibly. "Or maybe the tomboy with the big mouth." Dolphy's glare narrowed as the firearm was directed at her, not showing any fear if she felt it.

"No! Leave them alone!" Jim burst out angrily. Lenaro turned to the brunette boy, then smirked and aimed the gun towards his head.

"On second thought, let's begin with the newbie who started it all, shall we?" The younger human stared down the barrel of the pistol, his expression defiant. Inside though, his mind was racing at miles a second. It was almost ironic, really. He'd survived a black hole, bloodthirsty pirates, almost falling into the molten center of a planet, and escaping from said planet as it exploded from the inside out... and now he was going to be killed by a kid with a gun. Definitely not what he'd been expecting.

"Lenaro, stop!" Dolphy stared at the gun in panic. She wasn't going to lose her best friend. "Look, we won't tell anyone, just don't hurt him!"

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Will someone please shut her up?" The student holding Dolphy's are wrapped a tentacle around her mouth, effectively muffling her protests. "Now where were we? Ah, yes…" Jim shut his eyes as cold metal was pressed against his head, trying to stay calm. "Nice knowing you, Hawkins." The room stilled as the three prisoners waited for the sound of gunfire.

Instead, everyone was startled by the screech of an alarm and flashing red lights.

"What the-? Who hit the fire alarm?" Lenaro shouted over the deafening shriek as both the pistol and the orb fell from his hands. Blazer and the other 'pirates' clamped their hands over their ears as the piercing sound continued, forgetting their captives for a moment. Taking advantage of the lucky break, Jim nodded to his friends and the three bolted while they had the chance. After a moment, the other students followed suit, not wanting to get caught. The two boys had already reached the door when they heard Dolphy yell out.

"Not so fast, freak." The human girl glared at Lenaro as he grabbed her arm, pulling her back with a smirk.

"Boy, are **you **messing with the wrong girl!" Without warning, Dolphy jammed her elbow into the upperclassman's stomach, causing him to let go as the wind was knock out of him. The blonde regained his breath quickly and looked up just in time to see the girl's fist just before it hit him. Dolphy pulled her arm back and grinned smugly at older boy, now unconscious on the floor, before turning to meet her dumbfounded companions. "Three older brothers, remember?" Jim could only stare in awe as the girl raced out the door.

"Thank goodness she's on **our **side," Rakitan murmured to him as they followed her out.

Jim smirked. "You have no idea."

By this point, the halls were packed with students trying to evacuate the building, and Lenaro's cronies had made a hasty retreat in the confusion. For some reason, Jim was less than surprised to see Morph fly up to him with a wide grin on his face before slipping into his pocket. The little blob really did come through for him when push came to shove. The trio were practically in the clear when Jim suddenly remembered…

"The map!" Jim turned back to the room, then glanced at his friends. "I have to get it before they go back for it!"

"Are you nuts? We barely managed to get out of there alive!" The Kimanakin's words went unheeded as the human boy raced back to the headmaster's office, shoving past panicking teens and slipping into the room unnoticed. Lenaro was gone from to floor, most likely carried off by one of his comrades. Jim ignored this detail and scanned the room for the sphere. He heaved a sigh of relief as he caught sight of the artifact, and immediately he grabbed it off the floor and tucked securely into his pocket before turning to exit.

Jim stifled a yell as he was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and thrown into the wall hard enough to push the breath out of his lungs. Before he could catch it again, a clawed hand wrapped itself around his throat, cutting off his airways. Blazer glared at the human dangerously as he struggled against the panther's grip. "Hand over the map, kid, and maybe I won't kill you." A tightening of the hand around his neck ensured Jim that the panther-like upperclassman meant business.

Matching his glare, steel blue meeting flashing green, he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the map. Holding it up the metal ball for a moment, he dropped it to the ground, where it landed with a clank. A second later the panther released his grip, and Jim fell to his knees gasping as cool, sweet air raced into his lungs. He looked up, only to see Blazer extended a set of wicked looking claws. "I said **maybe **I wouldn't kill you." He grinned toothily. "I never promised anything."

"Blazer!" The felid turned his gaze to the door, where Meena stood waiting. "Leave the freak. We've gotta out of here." He glared down at the human in front of him, who was struggling to stand as his heart rate returned to normal. Growling, he sheathed his claws and opted instead to backhand the younger over the head. Jim fell back to the ground with a grunt, only managing to see the alien grab the map before he sunk into oblivion.

* * *

…

…

"…Jim…"

"...Jim… Wake up…! Jim!"

The young man in question groaned as he pried his eyes open slowly, meeting Dolphy's worried face. Sighing in relief, she helped him sit up slowly. He could now see that he was lying on a cot in the infirmary, and his head was pounding like a drum. "Nice to see you're still alive." Jim managed a smile for the girl sitting beside his bed. "What happened to you?"

Jim scowled. "Blazer happened. He attacked me in Leander's office to get the map." He sighed, rubbing his head where he'd been struck. "How long was I out?"

"At least an hour. Leander and the other teachers are out searching for the guys who attacked us. It looks like they got away, though." Her expression fell even further. "And now they have the map to the Calypso."

To her surprise, Jim actually smirked. His expression turned into a full grin at Dolphy's reaction to the item he pulled out of his pocket. "I wouldn't say that."

* * *

"So, if this is the real map, what'd you give Blazer?"

The two humans had rejoined Rakitan and were now standing in Leander's office, the order of which gave no sign of the chaos earlier. The headmaster himself sat at the wooden desk, amber eyes fixed on the three students in front of him. Indeed, he wanted to know the answer to this question just as much as the Kimanakin asking it.

"A decoy," Jim answered simply, clearly not intending to explain any further. "I managed to switch it out for the real one during the fight."

Leander nodded, though his expression remained unreadable. "Very resourceful, Mr. Hawkins." He then returned his gaze to the metallic sphere resting on his desk. "It would appear your discovery is not as well kept a secret as we would've hoped it to be. And the students you caught trying to steal it were obviously willing to go to great lengths to retrieve it."

_'That's an understatement,'_ the teen thought as he recalled the feeling of the gun pressed to his head. They were willing to **kill **for it. They must've known what it was and what it led to.

"That map is the key to finding the _Calypso_." Jim snapped out of his musings when the Dolphy spoke up. "When those guys find out about the decoy, they're going to come back for it."

Jim had a suspicion that he knew where this was going.

"We need to follow the map and find the treasure before they figure it out."

And his suspicions were correct.

The headmaster responded with a growling sound that somewhere between a scoff and a snarl. "We shall do no such thing. This academy is for the pursuit of knowledge and truth, not to chase after fairytales and legends. We've no patients for entertaining such foolish notions." With that, Leander turned his gaze from them and to the papers on his desk, a less-than-courteous way of dismissing the three. Dolphy, clearly irate, looked about to say something, but Jim beat her to it.

"With all due respect, sir, Captain Amelia did." The felid's ears flicked forward at the name. The camaraderie between the headmaster and the captain of the Legacy was one of the main reasons Jim had been permitted to join the Academy. Leander glanced up at the teen, a silent indication for him to make his point. "She was willing to search for Treasure Planet, even though everyone claimed it was just a myth. Just like the _Calypso _is said to be." Jim knew his former captain had recounted the story of their voyage to headmaster. And Captain Amelia didn't lie.

Leander exhaled heavily, rising from his chair and eyeing the human youth with such intensity it could pierce the bravest of souls. "Even if it were real, how do you even know this so-called map even works?"

Accepting the unspoken challenging, Jim snatched the map off of the table, entered the combination, and released the holographic map from its container. Though his expression remained stoic, the surprise and awe in the headmaster's eyes was clear. "Any other questions?"

The felid's expression was blank for a moment. Then it shifted into what could best be described as a smirk. "We're going to need a crew."

Jim grin, inwardly heaving a sigh of relief while Dolphy looked about to explode with excitement. The last of the group, though, didn't seem quite so thrilled. "Uh, that might be a problem," Rakitan spoke up, a little nervously. "We can't exactly tell a bunch of potential pirates that we're looking for a lost treasure. I mean, look what happened on the Treasure Planet voyage."

Despite the comment's 'killjoy-ish' attitude, he definitely had a point. They needed to keep this as much of a secret as possible. A second mutiny may not end nearly as well as the first had. There was a moment of contemplative silence, in which Jim worried Leander might change his mind, before the human girl's expression brightened, a metaphorical light bulb practically visible over her head. "I think I know how to deal with that."

* * *

The next day, students of all grades and species flocked to any one of several notices posted throughout the school.

_Attention Upperclassmen_

_The Headmaster has requested volunteers for a simulation voyage, in which students' knowledge of spacing will be tested in the field._

_This opportunity is offered only to upperclassmen. Only 30 students will be chosen, based on their grades and recommendations by their professors._

_If you are interested, please sign up at the headmaster's office by next Friday._

_-From the Desk of Captain Charles Leander_

_Headmaster of the Interstellar Academy_

* * *

**YAAAAAAAAY! I finally posted another chapter! And I solemnly swear to post the next on in less than a year and a half!**

**… Yeah, I know the crew excuse is pretty week, but it's vital to the story that the crew consist of students. And I couldn't think of a better excuse.**

**Okay, I know what most of you guys are thinking, and you're right. I suppose I did make Jim a little too… what's a good word… tame? I mean, he's not a delinquent anymore, but that doesn't mean he's a perfect angel now, right? You'll probably see a little more of his classic rebelliousness in future chapters, I promise!**

**I'd like to give a great big shout out to everyone out there who's still reading this story, even after the impossibly long hiatus. Guys, you are the best fans a writer could possibly ask for, and I salute you all. In fact, from now on everyone who favorites, reviews, or sets an alert for this story will be recognized in the Author's Note in the next chapter! I'll even reply to your review comments. How's that sound!**

**Well, better get started on the next chapter. I don't want to be victim to an angry mob...**

**See ya!**


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